Building-tile construction



w. 0. JOHNSTONE.

BUILDING TILE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1916.

1,325,249. 7 Patented Dec. 16,1919.

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0N FILED JUN Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

g EEEEEEEEEEEE 2- .WILLIAM o. .Tomvsronn, or NORTH ronnwme, NEW YORK.

BUILDING-TILE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. 1c, 1919.

Application filed June is, 1916. Serial No. 104,44e.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 0. JOHN- STONE, a citizen of the UnitedStates residing at North Tonawanda, county of Niagara, and State of New.York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in vBuilding-Tile Construction, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention, which relates to building tile construction, hasfor its obj ect the provision of, first, a tile of improved.construction having an integral flange and stem, the latter being joinedto the flange by splayed or curved walls for the purpose of breaking themortar joint and eliminating the angular .corner, thus strengthening theconstruction and rendering it less likely to bebroken where the stemjoins the flange, adapting it to withstand greater pressure than with anangular or-square joint, and further, when the tiles are laid, adaptingthem for the provision of air spaces of relatively large size,.where thesplayed or curved joints are disposed opposite to each other.

The tile, when laid up, provide an air space which is much larger thanthe space occupied by the mortar joint, and hence, even should theworkmen be careless in spreading the mortar promiscuously there wouldstill remain a considerable air space and the horizontal mortar jointwould be broken. The air spaces thus provided between the laid tileafford all the advantages incident to air spacesin wall construction,and the hollow form of the flange and stem of the tile provideadvantages. well known in building construction such as great strength,insulation, etc.

A second object of my invention is to provide a tile whose stem islaterally off-set in relation to the flange, by a splayed or curvedjoint to thereby break the vertical mortar joints in the wall...

Breaking both the vertical and horizontal mortar joints in the laid wallelfectively prevents moisture from following the mortar joints to theinner side of the wall.

Where the tile has a laterally off-set stem the curved or splayed joint,as distinguished from a square or angular-joint, between the off-setstem and flange, increases the strength of the tile and its adaptabilityto withstand pressure, while obtaining the advantage of breaking thevertical mortar joint.

I wish it understood, however, that the tile can be used without thelateral off-setting of the stem and still retain the advantages obtainedby the splayed or curved joint between the flange and stem. On the otherhand, advantages inhere in the ofl-set stem having a splayed or curvedjoint. When all of the improved features areembodied in the tile, a wallbuilt therefrom has interlocked joints, air spaces between the tile,breaks in both the horizontal and vertical mortar joints, the differentwallsor webs lie one above the other; there may be used a brick veneeror facing; and, great strength and adaptability to withstand pressureresulti The embodiments of the invention and wall constructions built bythe use of the l tile hereinafter set forth are to be deemed asillustrative, rather than restrictive, of

the scope of the invention which is susceptible of variousmodifications.

. In the accompanying drawings: 7 Figure 1 is a perspective of the tile;Fig.

stem;

Fig. 3, a plan view;

Fig. 4, an end elevation where the tiles are built into an eight-inchwall;

Fig. 5, a similar view foran eight or twelve inch wall, the-tiles beingprovided witha curved joint; and

Fig. 6, an endelevationof the tiles built into a wall having a brickfacing.

Referring first to Figs. '1 2, '3, the hollow flange 1 is of a heightsubstantiall twice the thickness of an ordinary brick, w e the hollowstem 2 which is integral therewith is of substantially the thickness ofa standard" brick.

The stem 2 isconnected to the flange 1 by splayed or beveled joints 3which, in the built wall (Figs. 4 and 6) rovide air spaces 4 extendingongitudinally thereof. The splayed joint 3, as distinguished from anangular or square joint such as heretoforeknown to the art, not onlyadapts the tile for the provision of the air spaces in' the built wall,but such air spaces are relatively large and greater in size than themortar joint; furthermore, thetile is given greatstrength by this jointat a point'which is usually weak in a hollow tile. An additionaladvantage is that even if the work- -man is careless in spreading themortar at 5 and 6, there will still'remainconsiderable air space and thejoint between the layers" 5 and 6 will be broken, thuspreventing 2, anelevation looking toward the moisture from following the mortar layershorizontally.

In Fig. 5 the joint 7 between the stem 2 and flange 1 is curved orcoved, thus obtaining an even larger air space 4: than with the splayedor beveled joint 3.

In both forms the results obtained are not possible with a tile havingan an ular or square joint between the stem and ange.

The adaptability of the tile to be laid with stems and flangesalternating, as in Figs. a, 5, 6, results in an interlocking of thetiles which affords great strength in the wall to resist transversepressure.

The splayed, or the coved, joint in each tile adapts them, when builtinto a wall, to stand tremendous vertical pressure.

In Fig. 6, the tiles are shown built with a brick facing or veneer 9whose mortar joints 6 continue as the joints 6 between the tile and, atintervals, certain of the brick 9 are bonded with the tile.

The tile may be constructed with or without lateral off-setting of thestem 2 and while the lateral off-set form is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, Iwish it understood that I do not limit myself to such off-setting.

I find it preferable, however, to provide the stem in lateral off-setform as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, where the vertical edges of the jointbetween the stem and flange are beveled or curved, as at 10. When thetile is thus formed, the mortar joints are broken veraseaaee ticallyinaddition to being broken horizontally.

The dimensions of the stem and flange may be varied according to thesize of the bricks in the facing 8, where such facing is employed.

The tile is adapted for use with a common brick face and preferably,where thus used the face of the stem 2 is equal to the thickness of astandard brick or of the brick used for the facing, while the Width ofthe face of the flange 1 is twice the thickness of the brick used forthe facing, plus one mortar joint.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure y LettersPatent, is

A substantially T-shaped hollow building block whose flange and stem arejoined by intersecting horizontal and vertical surfaces, said stem beingalso laterally offset in relation to said flange, said intersectingsurfaces being cut away so that when said blocks are set one aboveanother vertical and horizontal air spaces are provided be tween theblocks, said air spaces breaking the horizontal and vertical mortarjoints.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature. WILLIAM O.JOHNSTONE. Witnesses:

F. A. MCCOY, CHAS. S. ORTON.

